Tabernacle safe



B. A. BENZIGER TABERNACLE SAFE Oct. 27, 1931.

Filed Feb. 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l mm mz H mm m 4 WBWm /Z M N I n E m B m Y m B furllllrlllllllllan' Patented Oct. 27, 1931 PATENT OFFICE BERNARD A. BENZIGER, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY TABEBNAGLE SAFE Application filed I'ebruary 88, 1929. Serial No. 843,822.

This invention relates to tabernacle safes, and has for its principal object the provision in safes of this kind of an easily manipulated door. Another object is to make such door well balanced so that the same can be 19 Within it. A still further object is to eliminate all exposed mechanism-within the safe and all visible slots or protruding cornices or the like which may cause the upsetting of the ciborium or the like when removing it 15 from the safe. Other objects are the provision of a simple and sturdy mechanism for the opening and closing of the safe and one which is noiseless in operation. Still other objects will become apparent as the inven- 20 tion is better understood after a perusal of the following specification and a study of the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a lon 'tudinal sectional view throu h a typical orm of altar tabernacle embo ying the principles of my invention, taken along the plane of line 1- 1 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken along the plane of line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the locking mechanism shown in diagrammatic outline only;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken along the line of 4-4 in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 5 is a similar fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view taken along the plane of line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views and the following specification.

is a metal casing, made preferably of steel, and having sides 11, a top 12 and a bottom 13. This casing is set into the wood-' work 14 of an altar or the like. 15 is a frame usually made of bronze suitably ornamented, having flanges 16 around the opening into which the casing 10 is set, and inwardly extending sides 17 which fit within sides 11 and top -12 of the casing 10. Sides 17 are bent inwardly at 18 to form jamb flanges 19. 20 is a to wall of the casing 10 slightly below its be ore mentioned top 12, and 21 is a side wall, spaced a art from its right hand side 11, forming a c amber 22 at the top and a chamber 23 at the side of the safe, respectively, both communicating with each other. 24 and 25 are inwardly extendmg ledges of the casing 10, immediately in back of jamb flanges 19. Ledge 24 is bent at rlght angles at 26 to form with the end of amb flange 19 a substantially U-shaped stop. Ledge 25 terminates together with the other jamb flange 19 in spaced relation to side wall 21, forming a slot 27 therewith.

.The entire interior of the safe formed by sides 11, side wall 21, top wall 20, bottom 13, and ledges 24 and 25, is lined preferably with cedar wood as at 28 which 1s covered with damask or the like in accordance with the usual custom. The frame 15 is extended inwardly at 29 flush with the cedar wood linmg at the bottom 13 of the safe to which it is closely ]oined, so as to leave no crack or other open space between, its end and the wood, presenting thus a continuous smooth surface.

30 is a guide having a central boss 31 and an outer arcuate rim 32 connected together by webs 33. This guide or arm is pivotally secured to top 12 of the safe within the chamber 22 by means of a screw 34. 35 are rollers rotatably fastened to the inside of rim 32 with screws 36. These rollers ride upon the top wall 20 of the casing and thus take the load off the pivot screw 34. Suspended from the arcuate rim 32 of the guide 30 through a similarly shaped slot 37 in top-wall 20 is an arcuate door 38 suitably fastened to the rim, its exterior 39 being of bronze and its interior 40 preferably of steel. This door closes the opening between jamb flanges 19, and its bottom terminates immediately above plate 29 of frame 15, so as not to ride thereon, its weight resting upon the rollers 35 which ride upon the top wall 20 as on a track. In the 9 position shown in'Fig. 2, the door is shown closed and one side abutting the U-shaped stop formed by jamb flange l9 and ledge 24. Its other side projects somewhat into chamber 23 through slot 27. The front part of the side wall 21 is of arcuate form, corresponding to. the door, so as to allow the door to slide within the chamber 23 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, while still suspended from the guide 30, the rollers of'whichstill ride upon thetop wall 20. On one side of the door'is a conventional lock which is shown in outline only, and which operates lock bolts at the top and bottom of the door in a usual and well known manner. A typical form of rying the weight thereof, on inwardl extendmg ledgle mounted on said side wa admy hand. 7

r BERNARD A. BENZIGER.

lock operated by a key is shown in Fig. 3

I which constitutes a cam .41 turned by the key and which actuates a pin 42 eccentrically positioned upon a plate 43 to extend or draw together bolts 44 and 45 connected to the plate, .as shown, the bolts being securely guided upon the inside of the door by brackets 46. 47 are rubber covered stop pins withi in chamber 22 to limit the open and closed positions of the door by contact with arms 33 of the guide 30, asindicatedin Fig. 5. y In opening the safe, after the bolts 44 and 45 have. been unlocked by a turn of the key, the door is simply pushed to the right until it assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 5 when guide 30 is stopped by pin'47.. This can be accomplished very easily, because the door 38 is riding upon the rollers 35. This reducesthe frictional resistance to a negligible minimum. The rub-j ber stops 47 prevent loud clanging of the door incidental to opening or closing of safes as heretofore constructed. This in connection with the roller bearings makes the opening andclosing of the safe practically noiseless. Moreover, the entire inner exposed -bottom ofthesafe presents one continuous surface owing to the suspension of the door from the top of the safeonly. This effectively prevents the accidental upsettingof the ciborium by bein caught in slots formerly used to guide t e door. f. The opening and closing is accomplished .in. a very simple manner, and its operating mechanism is devoid of gears or other complicated devices.

Various changes in the' form, proportions and minor details of construction and assembly may be resorted to without departing 50 from the principles or sacrificing any offthe advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim as new, is: A tabernacle safe comprising an' open I faced casing, a horizontal partition within said casing parallel to andspaced from the top wall of the casing, a vertical partition within the casing spaced from a side wall thereof and forming a chamber therewith in communication" with said first mentioned chamber, a part of said vertical partition being arcuate in horizontal cross-section, a slidable arcuatedoor, said arcuate portion of the partition serving as a guide for said door, an arm rotatably positioned within said first chamber and attachedto said door andlcar- 

